Gomorra La Serie, episode 108

6 Mar 2017 — Genny carries physical and psychological scars as he oversees an ambitious political plan. He distances himself from Imma and Ciro.

“The Whit Card”

Genny shows post-traumatic stress as he is chauffeured to the new cocaine-dealing operation. He gets a hero’s welcome and is met by Ciro, who expresses his dissatisfaction and insists that they talk later. Genny implicitly agrees and leaves to find Michele Casillo at a nightclub. Genny dismisses Michele’s companions and tells Michele to run for mayor. Michele notes that Luigi Fabbretti, the incumbent, is co-operative and established, but Genny promises victory.

The next day, Genny warns Imma to avoid talking to him. He later meets the gang, including Ciro, at a beachside resort. Little Baron commends Genny for his work in South America. Genny is approached by a former schoolmate who asks for help and mentions an embarrassing nickname. Genny promises to talk to him later and then hears Malamo make a case for Ciro. Genny taunts Ciro and then focuses on the transportation hub that will be built.

Zecchinetta assures him that Fabbretti will give a cut to them, but Genny states that he doesn’t want to share. Zecchinetta argues for keeping the status quo, but Genny leaves and, shortly afterward, fatally shoots his former schoolmate. The others run to the scene. Genny gives his gun to Malamo and tells Ciro to dispose the body. Ciro confronts Genny outside of the resort and reminds him of their promise. Stoic, Genny declares his unilateral leadership.

At night, he meets with Michele in the man’s neighborhood. Genny tells his friends to distribute the campaign posters that Michele has produced. The next day, Ciro takes his motorcycle to a repair shop and entrusts it to Daniele, a young employee. Genny and Michele go to an empty construction site and meet with Gateano Salerno, an influential developer who is disgruntled with Fabbretti and weary of promises. Genny promises exclusivity with victory.

He shows more post-traumatic stress before he meets a doctor in the man’s office. Genny gets advice for his wound, which had been inflicted by Imma’s dog, and then notes that the doctor is an influential mayoral candidate. Genny offers an alliance, but the doctor implies that he knows about the Savastanos’ criminality and refuses the offer. Genny leaves. At night, he waits outside of a gym and introduces himself to the doctor’s daughter, Jessica.

The next day, Daniele rides Ciro’s motorcycle to a run-down park, where one of Genny’s friends takes the motorcycle and crashes it. Michele brings the required signatures of residents to city hall, but Fabbretti confiscates them. Michele tells Genny, who walks into the mayor’s office and smashes the desktop to get the signatures from Fabbretti. Ciro returns to the repair shop. Despite the crash and Daniele’s coverup, Ciro recruits him as a courier.

At night, Genny makes out with Jessica in his car while it’s outside of her family’s home. The doctor scolds Jessica and she goes inside. Genny shows his face and apologizes for keeping Jessica late. He leaves and goes to a secluded area to meet with a government official. The official explains that he will ultimately control the fate of the transportation hub and urges Genny to reconsider the plan to unseat Fabbretti. Genny threatens the official and leaves.

Daniele rides a scooter to an apartment building where a gang member is waiting. Daniele gets a backpack and rides away. Genny and Jessica have sex in his bedroom, but Genny is again haunted by his trauma. He takes her home and claims his sincerity to the doctor. Genny goes to the campaign headquarters where Michele is having a town hall. Though Michele is encouraged by his increasing number of supporters, Genny demands him to do better.

Genny and Imma visit a country club. Their standoff ends when Genny blames Imma for his trauma: her withholding of money had kept him hostage and forced him to dismember an American. Imma counters that she had sent him to learn to negotiate and asks if the trip had been valuable. At night, Genny meets with the doctor outside of the man’s home. The doctor offers to sway some of his loyal voters if Genny stops dating Jessica. Genny is noncommittal.

In the Savastano home, Imma prepares for a soirée. She watches as Genny passes without a saying word, and she smiles to herself. Elsewhere, two of Genny’s friends confront the man who is in charge of a polling station. They tell him when and where to drop an unmarked ballot, and one of them assaults the man to further convince him. Genny reconciles with Imma at the country club while they host a campaign dinner, which she has organized.

At the polling station, the man in charge sneaks an unmarked ballot out of the room while staffers prepare for the election. As instructed, he drops the ballot out of a window to Genny’s two friends. The next day, Fabbretti disregards protocol and greets voters at the polling station, but Ciro and Genny force him to leave. Ciro acknowledges Genny’s vision and pledges loyalty regardless of the outcome, but Genny is adamant that he won’t lose.

Voters gather outside of the building, where one of Genny’s friends facilitates electoral fraud. He marks an unmarked ballot and gives it to a conspiring voter. The voter smuggles the pre-marked ballot into the polling station, gets an unmarked ballot from a staffer, and submits the pre-marked one. The voter smuggles the unmarked ballot outside and trades it to Genny’s friend for cash. Another voter repeats the process.

At night in the Savastano home, Genny watches a news report that forecasts victory for Michele, who calls Genny to join the celebration at the campaign headquarters. Genny mentions that he has business to handle and meets with Jessica near the area where he had previously met the government official. Genny has sex with Jessica in his car, but he is later alone when he calls the doctor and bluntly states that he has ended the relationship.

Genny finally goes to the campaign headquarters to join Imma and the others. Ciro congratulates him, but he walks away and watches the celebration from a distance.

Thoughts

Stoic Genny and Fuming Ciro are too one-note for me to take the show too seriously. I’m not sure about the intentions of the showrunners, but sometimes Gomorrah unintentionally borders on the realm of parody.

Imma subtly glares at Ciro as he walks away from Genny at the end. I’ve already seen all of Season 1, but after re-watching this episode several months later, this interaction, though missable, is telling.